Cruelty
Sequel to BrookClan. I highly recommend reading that first. 19:55, 5 June 2009 (UTC) Oops, sorry, guys! That was me. I forgot to log in. Sparrowsong 19:57, 5 June 2009 (UTC) Allegiances Leader: Longstar - Long-legged grey she-cat with amber eyes Deputy: Redfur - Dark ginger tom with hazel eyes Apprentice, Sparrowpaw Medicine Cat: Rabbitstorm - Light brown she-cat Apprentice, Goldenfrost Warriors: Stormwing - Dark grey she-cat with one white paw and blue eyes Apprentice, Squirrelpaw Ospreypelt - Black-and-white tom Thistlepelt - Grey tom Snowstream - Long-haired white she-cat Deernose - Brown tabby tom Leafheart - Tortoiseshell she-cat with hazel eyes Silverstripe - Silver tom with big white paws Mossear - Blue-grey tom with amber eyes Mothflower - Tortoiseshell she-cat with brown eyes Rosestream - Cream-colored she-cat with blue eyes Apprentices: Sparrowpaw - Light brown tom Goldenfrost - Golden brown tom with green eyes Squirrelpaw- Dark ginger she-cat with amber eyes Queens: Dovefeather - Pale tabby she-cat Silvernose - Silver tabby she-cat Elders: Bluepool - Blue-grey she-cat Mosstail - Blue-grey and white she-cat Poppyleaf - Tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and blue eyes, formerly the medicine cat Mouseflight - Small brown tabby tom Cats Outside of Clans: Seed - Pale tabby with amber eyes Shadow - Black she-cat Camilla - Pale ginger she-cat who lives in Twolegplace - a kittypet Chapter One: Answer Stormwing took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Deernose," she sighed. "You've always been a good friend to me, but I don't think of you as any more than that." Deernose gasped. His eyes widened with hurt and tears rolled down his face. "I can't believe you, Stormwing!" he cried. "I tell you how I feel, and what do you do? You reject those feelings!" "Please, listen," she pleaded. "I do love you, but like a brother and a friend. Can't you be happy with that?" "You are a cruel, cold-hearted she-cat," he growled. "I can't believe I didn't realize how selfish you are." "I'm not selfish!" Stormwing argued. "If there's anyone selfish here, it's you." She regretted the hateful words as soon as she said them. But there was no taking them back. Deernose walked away quickly and angrily. Stormwing sat on the ground, her mouth open in disbelief. She had just lost her friend, probably forever. "I really am selfish. But there's no excuse for what he did. I would never call another cat a bad name." She had, in a way. But she kept telling herself that Deernose was the one at fault. "HELP!" a she-cat's voice screeched all of a sudden. Chapter Two: Kidnapped Stormwing ran to the screaming. The source turned out to be her two friends, Mothflower and Rosestream. Two rogue cats had them. A pale tabby had Mothflower and a black cat had Rosestream. The black cat snickered. "Let my friends go," Stormwing ordered. "I'm a warrior, you know." "We remember you, mouse-brain," the pale tabby sneered. "You were trespassing on our territory. Your boyfriend won't save you this time." "Huh?" Stormwing was confused. "What's a 'boyfriend?'" The pale tabby rolled her eyes. "Nevermind. Go away, pest." Stormwing remembered her encounter with those cats like it was heartbeats ago instead of several days (Almost a quarter-moon). "Just who do you think you are?" she demanded, putting on a brave face. "I'm Shadow and this is Seed," the black cat replied. "You're no better than a kit. Go whine to your mother, defenseless kit." Something about that remark made Stormwing angry...very angry. She pinned Shadow down, causing her to drop Rosestream, and raked Shadow's underbelly with her claws. The slightly smaller black cat yelped. "Rosestream! Are you alright?" panted Stormwing. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Rosestream was always so kind and responsible, a lot like her mother. Stormwing shoved Shadow aside and went after Seed, who still had Mothflower. Rosestream quickly joined her even though she had minor wounds. "Nobody hurts my sister," she growled. "Run," whimpered Mothflower. Another cat came along. This time not a she-cat, but an enormous pale grey tom. The tom gave Stormwing a wound to the head, knocking her to the ground. Shadow and Seed grabbed Mothflower and Rosestream and ran away. Stormwing woke up in Rabbitstorm's den. "Mmph," she grunted. "Don't move too much, Stormwing," cautioned a tom's voice. Stormwing, remembering what happened, cried out and snapped her eyes open. "Goldenfrost, w...those cats...Mo..." she was talking so fast and panicked she could hardly hear herself. "Noone had seen you for a long time," Goldenfrost explained. "So we sent out a search party. Sparrowpaw, Redfur, and Longstar found you under a tree with a nasty head wound. Mothflower and Rosestream were missing too, but the party smelled their fear-scents and three unfamiliar ones." "I can explain," panted Stormwing. "I was talking with...an old friend...when I heard screaming. I ran over and some rogues were attacking Mothflower and Rosestream. We tried to fight them off, but then this huge cat came along. That's how I hurt my head and was unconscious long enough for them to kidnap Mothflower and Rosestream. It was awful, Goldenfrost!" Goldenfrost nuzzled her. "It's ok. We'll get them back." Stormwing blinked away the tears in her eyes and accidentally fell asleep again. Chapter Three: Feelings Later, Stormwing woke up and felt better. She decided to go to the stream to think. I let Mothflower and Rosestream get kidnapped, she thought. It's all my fault. Does Poppyleaf hate me now? What kind of a friend am I? I don't deserve to be a warrior. She smelled another cat's scent, which she recognized as that of Deernose. She ran away before their eyes met. I can't believe what I did. Poor Deernose. And now I'm avoiding him. I wouldn't be surprised if he hated me. She hated herself. "Are you alright, Stormwing?" asked her apprentice, suddenly close to her. She took a deep breath and didn't say anything for a minute. "I guess," she sighed. "Squirrelpaw, I haven't taken you hunting for a while. Want to come and hunt with me?" Squirrelpaw nodded excitedly. She went into the forest, the apprentice following her. "Ok," she began. "This is how you catch a mouse..." She pounced on the slow mouse. Even though I don't feel like it, I'm acting happy. I have to be a role model for Squirrelpaw. I'm good at hiding how I really feel. "You're so great, Stormwing," beamed Squirrelpaw. "Thanks." She really looks up to me. After she finished hunting, she went back to the stream again. The fur on Stormwing's back suddenly stood up and her eyes narrowed. She saw the pale grey tom who attacked her and helped Shadow and Seed. In his mouth were Silvernose's two-moon-old kits, Badgerkit and Larkkit. "Let them go!" she yowled, running over. "I'm not afraid of you, kit." She let out an angry hiss and clawed at his face, narrowly missing his eye. "We thought you would have fallen into our trap by now, but it looks like you haven't." He muttered something inaudible. Larkkit wailed. "Silvernose!" screamed Badgerkit. Goldenfrost, Rabbitstorm, Dovefeather, Silvernose, and Deernose came out. "What's going on?" Dovefeather didn't finish the word 'on.' "No tick-infested rogue touches my kits without getting hurt," Silvernose warned. She lunged for the rogue, but stopped dead when he dangled Badgerkit and Larkkit over the stream. "My fellow rogues and I aren't after your Clan," the tom explained. "We want that cat." He gestured to Stormwing. "What do you want with me?!" The grey cat didn't answer. "And just who do you think you are?!" "Stone." "Well, Stone," said Stormwing. "You let go of those kits. Or else." "I'll drop them." He preteded he was going to drop them into the stream. "No," breathed Silvernose, crying. "I won't, then," Stone meowed. "You will come to our hideout. Just follow our scents." With that, he ran off. Dovefeather consoled the shocked Silvernose while Goldenfrost, Rabbitstorm, Stormwing, and Deernose ran after Stone. But apparently Stone was a fast runner. They had already lost him. Stormwing made eye contact with Deernose for a second. He sneered, muttered "Fox-hearted beast," and left. She didn't bother saying sorry. Or trying to. Chapter Four: A New Warrior and Four New Apprentices Stormwing ran to the warrior den and sat down in her nest, burying her face in her paws and the moss. "Are you alright, Stormwing?" asked Leafheart. "No," she whimpered. "Didn't you hear what happened?" "I did not," Leafheart answered. "I was hunting when a rogue cat named Stone showed up," Stormwing explained. "He stole Badgerkit and Larkkit. Then Stone told me to go to his rogue hideout...what am I supposed to do?!" Sympathetic Leafheart comforted Stormwing. Later, Stormwing was eating fresh-kill when Ospreypelt came quickly. He looked upset. Stormwing knew why; it was his kits who were taken. "Stormwing, Squirrelpaw is going to get her warrior name," he told her. Stormwing came zipping out, excited despite her sadness about the day's events. There was Longstar, talking to Stormwing's apprentice. Squirrelpaw glanced at her mentored happily, it was clear that she was also happy. "I, Longstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice," recited the leader. "She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Squirrelpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?" "I do," stated Squirrelpaw. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name," announced Longstar. Squirrelpaw felt her heart race. What would her warrior name be? Hopefully it wouldn't be something like Squirreldung or Squirrelface that sounded more like an insult than a name. "Squirrelpaw," Longstar continued. "From this moment you will be known as Squirrelfur. StarClan honors your courage and hunting skills, and we welcome you as a full warrior of BrookClan." "Squirrelfur! Squirrelfur!" chanted the whole Clan, the loudest being the voices of Stormwing and Snowstream - Squirrelfur's mentor and mother respectively. Even Deernose, who never thought much of the small ginger she-cat, was cheering for her. Stormwing realized she was standing right next to the brown tabby warrior. She quickly moved away and stood behind Ospreypelt. She felt Deernose's green glare on her, but she couldn't look in his direction. That night, when Stormwing went to sleep, she lay awake for a long time. She had so much on her mind - Mothflower and Rosestream, Silvernose's kits, the rogues, Deernose, Goldenfrost... Then she realized something. Did she ever know who her parents were, or even their names? No, she did not. Did she ever see them in StarClan? No, she did not. Questions raced through her mind. Did she get her grey pelt from her mother or her father? What about her blue eyes? Could her parents be in the Place of No Stars? She finally went to sleep from being so exhausted. Not very long after she went to sleep, someone nudged her. "Stormwing," hissed a voice. "You have dawn patrol with Deernose and I." Stormwing jerked up, almost knocking over Mossear. Oh no, ''she thought. ''I have to go on patrol with Deernose. Redfur, you mouse-brained kittypet of a deputy. How could you?! Are you completely clueless?! She went on dawn patrol, not once looking at Deernose. She could feel his haunting eyes watching her, though, and it made her uncomfortable. After they patrolled, Stormwing went back to the warrior den and did her best to go to sleep. Soon enough, it was later in the morning. Longstar called all cats over. She announced that there would be four new apprentices - Dovefeather and Redfur's kits, Applekit, Rosekit, Lilykit, and Featherkit. "Applekit, come here," the leader commanded. Applekit walked over slowly and slightly hesitantly. She looked nervous and insecure. "Deernose, you are now ready to take on an apprentice," said the leader. "You will be mentor to Applekit. Deernose, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of pride and determination. I'm sure you will pass on all you know to this apprentice." Deernose and his new apprentice touched noses and went to the side. The tom gave Stormwing a glance that said 'I'm so much better than you because I have an apprentice and you don't.' Goldenfrost sneered and Stormwing turned away. "Rosekit, come here." Rosekit came prancing over, rather excited and not afraid to show it. Longstar announced that she herself would be mentoring Rosekit. Stormwing, amused, could only imagine how envied she would be - not only was the deputy Rosekit's father, Longstar was her mentor! Finally, Longstar called on the last two kits. "Ospreypelt, you are now ready to take on an apprentice. You will be mentor to Lilykit. Ospreypelt, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of kindness and strength. I'm sure you will pass on all you know to this apprentice." Ospreypelt touched noses with her. They went to the side happily. "Stormwing," began Longstar. Stormwing almost gasped out loud. She had been chosen to be mentor to one of Dovefeather and Redfur's kits? Dovefeather and Redfur, two of the most respected cats in the Clan? "You are now ready to take on an apprentice. You will be mentor to Featherkit. Stormwing, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of humbleness and happiness. I'm sure you will pass on all you know to this apprentice." Stormwing took a step forward and touched noses with the apprentice. Both absolutely speechless, they went back into the crowd. "Applepaw! Rosepaw!" BrookClan cheered. "Lilypaw! Featherpaw!" Chapter Five: Scent Stormwing had just been given Featherpaw to mentor. They were both excited. "Featherpaw, how about I take you out to hunt?" Stormwing offered. "I would love that!" squealed the she-cat. Stormwing nodded and took her out. Featherpaw was the only one of Dovefeather's kits to inherit her mother's tabby pelt. She resembled her mother very much, although she had her father's eyes. Squirrelfur was easy to mentor. Featherpaw would be more of a challenge, being blind in one eye, but she was thrilled to be an apprentice. Stormwing showed the apprentice a technique used to catch mice. She caught on quickly. The young apprentice seemed to be good at catching mice. She had significantly more trouble with birds and rabbits, but she definitely had a talent for catching mice. "Wow," Stormwing complimented. "You're good." "Thank you," answered Featherpaw. It was clear she couldn't be happier. Stormwing fondly remembered that feeling. The feeling when she was a kit and she wanted nothing more than to be an apprentice. And what about the feeling when she wasn't much more than a kit and she was so incredibly thrilled to have a mentor? Now Stormwing herself was a warrior who had already mentored one apprentice and now had another to take care of. It was hard to believe that Featherpaw must have thought of Stormwing the way an apprentice felt about their mentor. The feeling that their mentor was the best cat in the whole forest. Did she really deserve an apprentice like Featherpaw, especially when Featherpaw was the deputy's daughter? The cat was a good apprentice. She clearly had a lot of potential to become a great and powerful warrior. While they were training, they ran into Deernose and Applepaw. Stormwing allowed Featherpaw to say hello to her sister, but she avoided Deernose's eyes. Later, Stormwing was walking down a long path when she smelled something. The fur on the back of her neck stood up and her claws came out, but she couldn't tell why the scent made her so nervous. "Stormwing!" called a voice. She gulped, turned around, and was face-to-face with Applepaw's mentor. She was surprised he was speaking to her other than to insult her. "Y-yes, Deernose?" she stammered. "I just talked to a grey cat," he told her. She thought she saw a gleam of something in his eyes. "I don't know his name, but he asked about you. He said to follow his scent." Stormwing loudly gasped. She knew those words. "Well, my dear Stormwing?" asked Deernose. "Are you going to go find him or not? You seem to know who I'm talking about." She shook her head in denial and shock. "Fine," he sneered. "I guess I'll go trian Applepaw some more." With that, he turned around and left. She couldn't believe it. The scary cat who kidnapped her friends and Silvernose's kits had been in BrookClan's territory. She bent down and sniffed around the forest some more until she found the scent again. Then she ran after it, following it outside the camp...through the woods...and into an unfamiliar area. "Who's there?!" she yelled. A black she-cat came out with a smug expression on her face. Stormwing knew the cat all too well. Her name was Shadow. "Hello, Stormwing," Shadow snickered. "We've been waiting for you." A pale tabby she-cat and an intimidating grey tom came out. The pale tabby had a hold of a young tortoiseshell she-cat while the grey one had a cream-and-white she-cat. The pale tabby was named Seed. And the grey one was Stone. "Mothflower and Rosestream," Stormwing quietly gasped. "Uhh," groaned Mothflower. "Save yourself," Rosestream weakly croaked. Stormwing's heart raced. Her blood boiled; it was a wonder her veins were not scorched. Her claws came out, she snarled, and her whole body filled with rage. "How dare you touch them!" she growled. She looked at the grey tom and lunged for his throat. "Stop it," said a tom cat's voice. Stormwing whipped around. In front of her was a pale ginger tom with blue eyes. "We were expecting you. Stormwing, do you know who I am? Do you know who you are?" Chapter Six: Help Arrives Stormwing looked confused. "Uh, no," she replied, shaking her head. "I don't know who you are." "My name is Mallowclaw," the pale ginger tom told her. "It looks like I know something you don't know." She rolled her eyes. "I used to be a respected senior warrior," he said. "I was in BrookClan." She gasped. "My brother, Owlfang, was the deputy. I was kicked out because I killed the leader, Nightstar, so Owlfang could become Owlstar. I was found out, though, and we got exiled. Even my own mate cheered for my banishment." The grey she-cat couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I see you've heard of Owlfang. He has since died, but we were rogues together for a long, long time. And now his daughters are on my side." He gestured to Shadow and Seed. "Let Mothflower and Rosestream go!" Stormwing demanded. "And the kits you took, too!" "Oh, them?" asked Mallowclaw. "I guess it wouldn't be too much trouble to let them go. As long as you don't go running away with them." "What?!" cried Stormwing. "We want you to be a rogue with us," Mallowclaw requested. "Why can't you stay here?" "No!" Stormwing exclaimed. "I have a life back in BrookClan! I have my friends. I have Goldenfrost, Squirrelfur, Poppyleaf, and an apprentice to take care of. Now if you don't hand over those warriors and kits, you'll be sorry." "You'll be sorry," mocked Seed. "Hey, you!" snapped Stormwing. "Seed! You mouse-brained, sharp-tongued piece of crowfood. If you rogues don't let them go, you'll be sorry." Seed hissed and pounced on Stormwing, releasing Mothflower in the process. "Don't you dare, Seed," scolded Mallowclaw. "Stormwing!" yelled Goldenfrost's voice. Pawsteps came rushing over - the pawsteps of Stormwing's clanmates. Help had arrived. Against Mallowclaw's wishes, Seed pinned Stormwing down and clawed at her underbelly. Stormwing winced in pain and used a trick her mentor Silvernose once taught her - pretending to be defeated. The BrookClanners squeaked in horror. Right when Seed stopped attacking, Stormwing bit her throat so hard it was almost a killing-bite. Seed yelped and ran off. Mallowclaw snarled and went over to BrookClan. "Don't you touch Longstar!" ordered Stormwing. "You," hissed the leader. "It's been a while, Longleg," replied Mallowclaw. "Oh, wait, I guess that would be Longstar now." Silvernose ran to a pile of moss and dug out one black-and-white kit and one silver kit. "Badgerkit and Larkkit," she sobbed. Poppyleaf saw Mothflower and rushed to her daughter's side. "I'm...fine..." panted Mothflower. "Go help Rosestream." But Poppyleaf wouldn't leave her. "You're bleeding." "It's just a small cut," she reassured. Rabbitstorm, Leafheart, and Redfur ran over to Stone. Rabbitstorm and Redfur attacked him while Leafheart helped Rosestream. "Thank you for helping your sister, Leafheart," meowed Poppyleaf. Leafheart froze. "Rosestream isn't my sister," she asserted. "Dovefeather is my mother." "I'm so sorry," apologized Poppyleaf. "I should have told you a long time ago. I had a mate, Owlfang. I wasn't supposed to have a mate because I was a medicine cat. But I did, and I had Owlfang's three kits - Mothflower, Rosestream, and you. Dovefeather pretended to be your mother so you wouldn't have to know. As for Mothflower and Rosestream, they disappeared and were thought to be dead." Leafheart gasped and slowly looked down. "We do have the same pelt color," she noted. "Yes," nodded Poppyleaf. "Did you notice that you and your sisters all have a bit of me and a bit of your father in you? You and Mothflower have my pelt and his eyes. Rosestream has his pelt and my eyes." "Wait..." said Shadow. "Owlfang was Seed's and my father. That means..." "We have kin in BrookClan!" exclaimed Seed. "Owlfang was my father," whispered Leafheart in disbelief. "I'm the daughter of one of the most feared cats in history." "So are Mothflower and I," Rosestream pointed out. Stormwing looked to her leader. Longstar was still fighting the ginger rogue. "Get away from her!" meowed Stormwing. "Ever wonder why my rogues don't go after you?" asked Mallowclaw. Stormwing hadn't realized it, but the rogues did attack her a lot less than others. "Because I am your father and Longstar is your mother." Chapter Seven: Believe Stormwing froze, gasped, and went into shock. "No," she denied. "It can't be." "Stormwing..." meowed Longstar, looking down guiltily. "Longstar, that's not true," said Stormwing. "...Right?" "Yes, you're mine," Longstar confessed. "And Mallowclaw really is your father." "Ah well, why don't I say something surprising too," snickered Seed. "Shadow and I used to be kittypets; our mother was one. That's how we know strange Twoleg words." Stormwing was at a loss for words. Deernose smirked at her. She wasn't sure what to think. She should have been told the truth a long time ago. Could she even believe in StarClan anymore, since they hadn't told her about her parentage either? "You were named after my dear dead sister Stormpaw," Mallowclaw told her. "I'm rather surprised none of you seem to have heard about her." In fact, Willowmist had told Stormwing the story of Stormpaw. But she never thought much of it; she assumed it was simply a legend like the story of Tigerstar or the story of LionClan, LeopardClan, and TigerClan. The she-cat stared at her reflection in a puddle of water. The resemblance to Longstar and Mallowclaw was there. Longstar was there in her grey pelt while Mallowclaw was there in her eyes and white paw. Deernose kept smirking at her. Goldenfrost bit his tail and he stopped. "It's true," Stormwing whimpered. Even the kits appeared just as shocked. "Now that you're done staring at that puddle and denying what's true, will you join us or not?" asked Mallowclaw. Stormwing shook her head. "No, Mallowclaw," she refused. "I won't join you." Mallowclaw angrily hissed and attacked Longstar again. Redfur ran over and helped her flip him off. "You're joining us, Stormwing," meowed Shadow. "If you don't, we'll kill Longstar." "Don't do it!" begged Longstar. Stormwing shook her head. It was unclear what she was about to say. Rabbitstorm, Snowstream, and Stormwing came to help Longstar and Redfur. Now it was five against one; powerful Mallowclaw was unlikely to win. Finally they defeated Mallowclaw and he fell to the ground, unconscious. "I can't believe this!" exclaimed Stormwing. Seed meowed something Stormwing couldn't hear. She was, however, looking in a direction the grey warrior was trying to avoid. Dovefeather lunged at Shadow, an easy opponent since she was so small. Goldenfrost and Stormwing went after Seed. Stormwing gladly ripped some of Seed's pale fur out and clawed her in the face. Stone was large and dangerous. He went after Poppyleaf. Dovefeather, Goldenfrost, Stormwing, Ospreypelt, and Leafheart saw what was happening and ran over. It definitely was not easy to defeat Stone, but they did and then BrookClan returned to their camp. "Why didn't you tell me before, Longstar?!" demanded her daughter. "I'm sorry. I see now that I should have. But I kept it a secret because I knew you wouldn't be happy about having Mallowclaw for your father." "You've got that right." The she-cat angrily marched off to camp, her dark fur blowing in the wind. "I am a warrior," she meowed very quietly to herself. "I am a mentor. I am a rogue's daughter. I am a fighter." She paused to pick a small thorn out of her pelt. "I am Stormwing." Teaser for Book Three A shocking secret has been uncovered, one that the whole Clan is just getting over. Stormwing can't help but hate herself a bit. As she falls in love with someone she shouldn't, she discovers what it really means to make a mistake and break the warrior code. The next book will be fast-paced and action packed. It shall be called... Mistake. (I need a title for the next book. I have a few ideas; my two favorites are Love Story and Mistake. There's a poll on the talk page - please vote there. Thanks for reading. --Sparrowsong 23:56, 1 July 2009 (UTC)) Category:Fan Fictions Category:BrookClan Article